Follow Hema Malini

The 10 most iconic characters of Bollywood

As
Bollywood completes its long journey over the 100 years of Indian cinema, we
get a myriad of memorable character. Considering the heroes, the heroines, the
villains, the character actors and the item girls, it becomes extremely
difficult to choose only 10 characters that we love. So, here is a short list of
those 10 characters which still remain uppermost in the mind of the avid fans
of Bollywood.

1.“kitne
aadmi the?” the speaker of this immortal dialogue was Gabbar Singh –
probably the most famous villain of Bollywood. This role played by Amjaad Khan
in Sholay remains unmatched to this day even though hundreds
of other dacoit leaders and gangsters have appeared on the silver screen of
Indian cinema. Ruthless, cruel and powerful, Gabbar is the quintessential
villain whose name was enough to put kids to sleep.

2.Radha
in Mother India played by Nargis when she was only 26 years
old remains an iconic character in Indian cinema. A woman’s journey from her
wedding day till her old age when she is forced to kill her own son resonates
with every viewer.

3.Our next
favorite character came much later to the screen, but he became an instant hit.
This is the lovable Munnabhai in both Munnabhai MBBS and Lage
Raho Munnabhai. We laughed with him, we cried with him and we fell in
love all over again with Sanjay Dutt as he showed off his muscles in the
ragging session.

4.Another
iconic villain of Bollywood and our next favorite character is Mogambo in Mr.
India. The role, played by Amrish Puri has been made famous by the catchphrase
“Mogambo khush hua”. His threat of world domination and acid pool where he
drowned his subordinates has made him a fearsome villain.

5.Inspector
Vijay in Zanjeer – a star was born. Amitabh Bachchan brought
to life an angry young man who soon became synonymous with Bollywood and Hindi
cinema.

6.Anand
portrayed by Rajesh Khanna can still wring a tear or two though you have
watched the film several times. The unaffected friendliness of a dying man has
made this character immortal.

7.Crime
master Gogo portrayed by Shakti Kapoor in Andaaz apna apna represents
Bollywood’s flair for mixing the bad with the comic. The humor and craziness of
this character has made it loved by all.

8.Bhikhu
Mhatre played by Manoj Bajpayee is next on list. You cannot help but love this
man who is a ruthless crime lord, yet a loving family man.

9. The
talkative and effervescent character of Basanti in Sholay portrayed
by Hema Malini remains next in line.

10.Finally,
Raju in Guide played by Dev Anand has passed the test of time
appealing to viewers of many generations.